SpeakUp Conference sponsorship packet

The SpeakUp Conference presented by The Lutheran Foundation is a one-day event focused on mental and behavioral health that will bring together nationally recognized experts and speakers to help equip and inspire pastors, priests and other ministry leaders to better serve their congregations.

It also aims to reduce the stigma often associated with these topics, which is particularly strong in the faith community and can be a significant barrier to healing. Additionally, it will inform those in attendance how they can care for their own mental health and wellness.

Attendees at the SpeakUp Conference will...

Hear from nationally recognized speakers about how to better walk alongside those struggling with mental health issues

Learn about faith-based resources to assist them in their ministry

Connect with local organizations ready to partner with them in providing care

THE JOURNEY TO SPEAKUP

In the fall of 2016, The Lutheran Foundation’s director of ministry programs Dennis Goff formed a Church and Mental Health Task Force comprised of Northeast Indiana ministry leaders, mental health professionals and community activists.

It was created as part of The Lutheran Foundation’s renewed emphasis to be a leader in mental and behavioral health, and its purpose was to encourage the Christian faith community to speak openly about those topics in ways that lead to practical expressions of care and compassion for all.

At the task force’s initial meeting, it was suggested that The Lutheran Foundation hold an event for ministry leaders to help them better serve the mental health needs of their members. Out of this discussion, the SpeakUp Conference was born.

The goals of the task force are the goals of the conference: to raise awareness, increase education, provide resources, and inspire action.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Amy SimpsonThe author of Troubled Minds: Mental Illness and the Church’s Mission, Simpson will share her own story of living with someone with a serious mental illness and how Christians can better help those in similar situations

Matthew Stanford, Ph.D.The CEO of the Hope and Healing Center & Institute, Stanford will discuss mental illness from both biblical and scientific perspectives as well as the appropriate role of psychology and psychiatry in the life of a believer